


A Midnight Gathering

by coolbreezemage



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Emotional Support, Gen, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22028821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolbreezemage/pseuds/coolbreezemage
Summary: Byleth finds her Lions gathered together to share a sleepless night.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 38
Collections: Those Who Drabble in the Dark





	A Midnight Gathering

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the Those Who Drabble In The Dark prompt for "dorm rooms" but I couldn't resist making it a bit longer.

She might never have known, if her room hadn’t been next to Dedue’s. She didn’t make a habit of getting involved in her students’ private lives. If they were old enough to go into battle, they were old enough not to need constant nannying, no matter what Seteth thought. So she paid no mind to who ventured where in the dormitories, so long as there was nothing dangerous or disruptive involved. 

But tonight she couldn’t sleep. Not after what they’d seen in Remire, not after a long, long day spent at the Archbishop’s side, settling the survivors and orphans and their meagre belongings into Garreg Mach’s guest chambers. Once, she wouldn’t have given a thought to it. War, death, it was all a natural part of life to a mercenary. But that sickness, that transformation... that had not been anything natural. And she doubted that was the last they'd see of such strange things. 

She shook her head. There was nothing to be gained from pondering on it, so she took her fishing pole from the door, left Sothis dozing in the corner, and stepped out into the chill Ethereal Moon night. The cold air didn’t trouble her. It never had.

And then she saw him. Dedue, who would follow any rule to the letter without complaint so long as it didn’t threaten his liege (or his plants), out after curfew, carrying a covered basket towards the stairs to the second floor dormitories. 

She left the pole by her door and followed, far enough behind that he didn’t notice her. Or perhaps he did, and chose to ignore her. She had a feeling that he saw a lot more than he let on. But he trusted her, and more importantly he trusted her with Dimitri, and that was no small thing. 

Dedue continued up the stone stairs and down the long hallway lined with sleeping students. When he pushed through the doors into Dimitri’s room, she heard the faint murmur of warm conversation escape.

Through the half-closed doors she saw that the entire Blue Lions class had arranged themselves in their leader’s room. Dedue and Mercedes, busy laying out a selection of treats on Dimitri’s desk while Annette looked on, hopping up and down with delight. Ashe and Ingrid, perched on the shelf by the window, poring over a stack of well-worn books. Sylvain, crouching on the floor, pouring wine into a row of cups obviously nicked from the dining hall. Even Felix was there, Felix who loudly professed to hate people and social occasions and Dimitri most of all, sitting on the floor against the wall, running a polishing rag over a spotless sword and avoiding eye contact with the others. 

Dimitri sat on the bed, wearing soft nightclothes instead of his ever-present armor, a teacup cradled in bare, heavily scarred hands. His expression still bore the weight of the rage and sorrow that had consumed him in the ruins, but there was peace there too, comfort and relief that grew as he looked between the classmates who had gathered around him to keep each other company in the cold night.

The doors creaked. Annette squeaked in alarm, and they all turned to stare, some with worry, others with indignation.

“Professor,” Dimitri started, ducking his head anxiously as though he were a child caught stealing and not the crown prince of Faerghus, “I apologize for our behavior. I will take full responsibility for this disturbance.”

Ingrid leapt to her feet. “It wasn't his idea,” she declared. “He tried to convince us not to come. But I insisted. So punish me if you have to.”

Ashe stood, frightened but determined. “That's not completely true either.” He took a breath. “It was my idea, Professor. I thought… I thought it would be good if we spent some time together as a class. We’d like to stay with His Highness tonight. If that’s all right.” He looked around at the others. 

“Please, Professor!” Annette added. “We’ll be quiet!”

Mercedes and Sylvain voiced their agreement. Felix grumbled something inaudible but didn’t move. Dedue offered no plea, only met her gaze with an expression she’d seen in Jeralt’s eyes when any opponent dared threaten her safety. 

They need not have begged so. Byleth had known from the moment she saw their faces that this was the right thing for all of them. And it was clear that none of them wanted to be alone after the past few days. 

Dimitri, so proper, so determined not to burden others, would never have asked for companionship, no matter how badly he needed it. But his friends offered it all the same. Insisted on it, even.

She was proud of them, yes. But they didn't need to know that just yet. 

She stepped forward, face still blank. “Let me see that bottle.”

Sylvain passed it over with a curious, studying eye. The room fell into tense silence. She peered at the label and snorted derisively. 

“Next time you want to get drunk on Academy grounds, Sylvain,” she said, “I’m sure you can do better than this. Try asking my father to find you something.”

Sylvain was the first to smile, and then Ingrid, and then they were all laughing, and she was very glad there were no neighbors to hear them.


End file.
